


A New Friend

by MissMina1385



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 08:13:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18796438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMina1385/pseuds/MissMina1385
Summary: A robotic cat and dog lady fosters a cat, only to adopt after the owner dies





	A New Friend

The phone ringing made Mina jump. She looked over at it, seeing it was the local animal shelter. “Hello?” she answered, wondering why they were calling.

“Mina?” asked the voice on the other end. “Oh I'm glad I got you. I need your help, in both your space and your experience. We've got a Maine coon boy here, the owner is sweet old man, but he's taken ill nad the home doesn't allow pets. I know you have both cats and dogs, and so I was wondering if you could foster this boy until the owner is well enough to be home again?”

It wasn't an odd request, Mina was known to foster animals, and even have a knack for handling the grumpy or feisty ones. And so that was also why Kristi, the assistant, had forgotten to introduce herself. She was easily distracted, and forgetful about things like that, which got her lots of teasing, especially being born a natural blonde.

“First I'm sorry to hear the owner is ill. Of course I can foster one more cat, there's four others here plus four dogs, so there'll be plenty of friends to play with, or plenty of windows to sleep in sunny spots. You need me to come get the little fella?”

“Mina, you do realize a Maine coon male can be almost 15 pounds. They aren't small cats,” Kristi said.

“Yes, I know. I also have a dog the size of a small horse who can routinely open the cabinets above the fridge simply by standing up on her hind legs. This boy may be larger than Lina, but he'll be just as little as the other cats next to Rhiannon.”

“She- She opens the built in cabinets above the fridge? Simply by standing up? I knew Rhi was a tall lady but that's just-” She let out a breath of air, trying to process how a dog could be that big.

“I've also fostered the Tibetan Mastiff, so I know a thing or two about big breeds,” Mina said. “But do you need me to come get him?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Please. We're busy here with the flooding, people's lost pets are showing up and we're almost out of room as it is. If you have a spare travel cage could you bring it? We honestly can't spare any, and if you have extras we could really use them for temporary holding of the small ones.”

“I have three, so I'll leave two there for you and keep the coon in the one,” Mina said. “It takes about 40 minutes to get there, so I'll see you in about an hour, okay?”

“That would be great. Thanks so much Mina!” she said, hanging up without so much as a goodbye, another common thing, especially when they were busy.

Mina just smiled and shook her head, slipping her phone in her pocket. A quick change of clothes and the transport cages in the back of the SUV, she was ready to head out. It took her longer to get there, as the rain had made the county roads muddy. But she made it, and just in the nick of time it seemed. The patrol truck came in with 5 animals, wet, cold, and separated from their owners. Mina brought the two medium sized animal cages in the back, helping Kristi dry them off, and hold them for a chip scan. While Kristi called he owners, Mina held the pets, cooing to them and petting them, keeping them company and trying to help warm them up by rubbing their bodies. Only one of he cats complained, but that's why she was holding hem. Bites and scratches didn't bother a metal bot. They couldn't do much real damage to her, just have to buff out scratches and dings from the teeth and claws.

Once the animals were collected, and things calmed down a bit, Kristi went and fetched the cat. He was a blue, an boy was he blue! He looked almost like he'd been painted, his fur had such a lovely blue tint to it. “Oh my, I can see he's a pretty one,” Mina said, leaning down to peek inside the carrier. 

“He's of course house trained, but being in another unfamiliar place he might be a bit cranky. I wouldn't let him outside for a couple days just so he doesn't try to run away.”

Mina nodded, picking up one of the nearby pens to start signing the paperwork. Fostering was almost as much paperwork as buying! But she didn't mind, and soon enough all the documents were signed by them both, and Mina picked up the carrier to head back home. “Oh! I almost forgot. What's his name?”

Kristi rolled her eyes. “Bleu. Like the chicken dish.”

Mina laughed, shaking her head. “Not creative, but certainly fitting. Just give me a call when the owner is ready to have Bleu here back. I can swing by here, pick up you and the paperwork, and we can head over.”

Kristi nodded, before another batch of bedraggled pups and kitties came in needing her attention. Mina just quietly slipped out, Setting the carrier in the back seat and securing it. She spoke to Bleu the whole way back, telling him of the house, and who was there. He probably didn't understand a single word, but it would help him get used to her voice. 

Once back home, she got out the extra food and water bowls that she kept for the foster animals, and set them up at the end of the row with all the others' bowls. “There's a morning and an evening food time,” she explained, making sure Bleu could see the setup. She brought the carrier to the various litter boxes, with four cats, and four dogs, that also used boxes, there entire room was dedicated to pet relief. “You can use whichever box you like, there's no designated kitty or doggy box. Just actually use one please.”

After carrying Bleu around the whole house, all four floors of it, she brought the carrier back to the kitchen, and opened it up. “Okay Bleu, let's get you settled in. Don't know how long you're going to be here, but I doubt it's just for a weekend.”

Bleu looked up at her and meowed, taking his time checking the place out on his own. The other animals were used to coming into a room and finding a new someone, so they were never hostile. They would greet, but they would also just leave the other animal to come to them when ready. He was indeed a well behaved cat, not one to chew on things, or knock stuff off.

Mina did keep him inside for the weekend, but then let him out to play and exercise. He took off for the woods, where Horus would have to compete if Bleu wanted to hunt. Luckily for both Horus and Mina, Bleu wasn't interested in the mice, snakes, or other little critters in the woods, other than to just chase them. And Horus knew better than to get the cat. Mina had been kind enough to fix his wing when it was injured, nurse him back to health. So he was there to keep the population of the critters small enough they didn't wander into the house.

After about three weeks, Kristi called again. But it wasn't to say that the owner was well. He'd gotten a bad case of pneumonia, and had unfortunately passed away. 

“I'm so sorry to hear that,” Mina said. “I can keep fostering Bleu, he's settled in nicely here. He really seems to like Misty, my Persian. I think they both like having a floofy friend.”

“Okay. I'm trying to find out if any of his family want to take him, but they're all coing in from out of state for the funeral. They don't seem like pet people, vrom the reactions I've already gotten.” You could hear the sadness in Kristi's voice.

“He's welcome here as long as need be, no worries,” Mina said. They ended the call, and Mina went to find Bleu. She'd explained to him that he was here because his owner was ill, and now she had to tell him he was dead. Both he and Misty were sleeping in the sun, Bleu cracking an eye when Mina came in.

He gave a small meow when she sat down on the floor next to them, wondering what she was doing. She began to gently pet him, explaining kindly but succinctly the situation. “They are looking for a home for you love, but it always takes a bit of time. No worries though, you're welcome here no matter what.”

Blue looked up at her, cocking his head slightly. Almost as if to say he didn't understand. He thought this was home, so why did he need another one? Then he stood up only enough to lay half of himself in her lap, and go right back to sleep. 

After three months of looking, no one wanted a cat as big as a Maine coon, no matter what his color was. So Mina's collection of rescue animals grew by one more, a floofy boy with a very fitting name.


End file.
